Monday, December 18, 2006

Do you think this is great?

I have to clip and paste from Terry's blogpost these comments by his daughter Amy following our service on Sunday. Pretty good for teen. sunministries.blogpost.com

"Saturday was the best church service I have EVER been to! I saw grown men I have known ALL my life come to tears....I thought I would never see them cry! It was the first time in YEARS I felt God with me!

I don't get it....why would churches spend millions of dollars on buildings...when you can be in an office building with 30 people singing and sharing what GREAT and AWESOME things God has done!

Never in my life time of going to (XYZ Church) have I felt God in that way! I cant go back to it! I belong at True Vine!

And now we have another family we are helping!"

My thoughts: Why would some people in the church NOT view this as GREAT? Is it the fact that we don't have a building or a large budget or thousands of people?

There are some things that really make this great. (I cannot give you all of them).
*30+ people gathered (not the whole group) committed to viewing the Great Commission with supremacy. The single greatest command of God given to all significant leaders in the Bible, "Be fruitful and multiply."
*30+ people committed to and demonstrating in their actions what it means to live incarnationally in the world.
*30+ people learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Him in the fulfillment of His mission.
*30+ people being tested by God to do what He says and so far when God has spoken the group has stepped up. My last church (well let me stop here).
*30+ people who share what Jesus is doing when doors are opened and then they watch the Holy Spirit work on the hearts of those standing in the open doors.
*30+ people who are learning to expect miracles everyday.
*30+ people who make the mission more important than the meeting.
*30+ people who have reached out to yet another family (a single father with six kids burned out in a fire 2 months ago, forgotten by most and then the father falls and breaks two vertebre leaving him with no income for 2 months. No money for rent -what will they do and how can 30 people meet that need?

Before the group was told the amount of the rent a member declares, God is telling me to give my Christmas bonus entirely to this family and the amount of the bonus is $650.00. Tell me, how much is the rent? Pastor Terry says, "The rent is $650.00." The next two months will consist of many needs for this family. What can I say, 30+ people are going to let God meet it?

What size of a church in America will help a family they do not know by covering all of their needs for the next two months. This is not a brag session on us - we are bragging on what God is doing through 30+ people. We don't have the resources but God does and God will come through. Did I tell you unbelievers are hearing the story and they are shocked by what we are doing for God and they are giving money to assist.

The father when asked what his greatest needs are replied, "You (Pastor Terry) are the first person to ask that question. Many people want to give my kids presents when what we really need is money for rent, utilities and food."

When God leads us to touch lives with our love, time and resources we are committed to stepping up with no motive of getting them in church. We are committed to showing the world who Jesus is so they will want Him and want others to know Him.

I told Pastor Terry I would not write on all His exciting news - and I really haven't because he has so much to write about he'll never have the time to do it. The story goes on and on.

Pastor Terry you really live "He must increase and I must decrease." I praise God for your sacrifice.

1 Comments:

At December 22, 2006 8:05 PM, Blogger Bob Carder said...

I guess what I think is "great and exciting is different that what others think is "great and exciting". I better write about something considered "great and exciting" next time.

 

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